UN: Lebanon ups military efforts to prevent rocket fire into Israel

The Lebanese army has deployed an addition brigade of soldiers as well as elite special forces units to the south of the country in an effort to aid in the prevention of rocket fire into Israel, according to a United Nations report.

The document, which details the agency's monitoring of the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 which was adopted following the Second Lebanon War in 2006, says close to 5,500 Lebanese army soldiers are manning positions in the south.

In recent weeks, Lebanese forces, in conjunction with UNIFIL peacekeepers, have discovered dozens of rockets, some of them ready for activation and launch while others were uncovered in secret bunkers and concealed caches. In addition, large stores of ammunition were uncovered.

The report also reveals that UNIFIL and the Lebanese military have carried out seven special operations, each 24 hours long, aimed at curbing rocket fire into Israel.

The IDF has completed the creation of a database containing information on the exact point of impact of each cluster bomb fired Israel during the Second Lebanon War, and plans to transfer this information to UNIFIL.

In the report, which was submitted to the Security Council on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticizes Israel for delaying the data transfer, noting that the holdup endangers the lives of south Lebanon residents.